The Meaning of Flowers
by feronia.wings
Summary: Twenty-six hearts... thirteen flowers... one story to tell it all... Unrelated one-shots of some of the best pairings in Bleach, based on the symbols of the Gotei 13. Rated T to be safe.
1. Chrysanthemums

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Bleach in any way, shape, or form.

* * *

Chrysanthemums – Truth and Innocence

Another day at the Urahara Shop. Jinta sighed moodily as he stared at the window, bored out of his mind. He was under strict instructions not to leave the shop, but he was so jittery. It seemed like everything was setting him on edge today. Not even teasing Ururu helped to stem his boredom like it usually did.

He looked around the shop, trying to find something to do. Of course, there was hardly anything for him to work on to take his mind off of his confinement. Ururu had already cleaned everything until it shimmered. Tessai was behind the counter, apparently asleep. Jinta stalked out of the store to go out front, where Ururu was busy sweeping.

"Hello, Jinta-kun. Is something wrong?" Ururu asked, her eyes as sorrowful as ever.

"Yes, something's wrong, dammit! I can't go anywhere until Urahara-sama gets back from wherever he is!" Jinta complained, kicking a soda can across the yard to crash with a loud bang into the wall of the shop next door.

"I'm sorry to hear that, Jinta-kun." Ururu replied, going back to sweeping.

This just pissed off Jinta even more. "Show some sympathy, baka! Don't just go around cleaning and looking sad like that!" He shouted at her.

"I'm sorry." Ururu said again. Jinta felt an angry pulse throb in his forehead. Without even thinking, he began pulling Ururu's bangs.

"Why do you wear your hair like this, anyway? You look like you have antennae!"

"Owowowow, Jinta-kun, stop, that hurts!" Ururu cried, tears forming in her already mournful eyes.

Jinta instantly felt regret. With a huff, he let go and turned away, stalking away from the shop.

"Ah, Jinta-kun, stop, Urahara-sama said not to leave the store!" Ururu cried from behind him. Jinta began to run.

It felt so good to run. After being cooped up in that stuffy old store all day, he had way too much energy. He pushed himself, faster and faster, until he couldn't even feel the ground anymore. He flew across the concrete, his breath beginning to come out in gasps. He didn't care though. He needed to get away, far away, as far as his legs could take him.

It was then that several things hit Jinta at once. One, he couldn't stop. And two, there was someone up ahead, and it was starting to look like they weren't going to get out of the way in time…

"LOOK OUT!!!" Jinta shouted, but it was too late. Just as the figure turned to see who had shouted, Jinta plowed into them, sending their grocery bags scattering all over the sidewalk.

"Ow…" Jinta muttered under his breath, rubbing his head where it had hit the concrete.

"Oh, I'm so sorry, I should have been paying more attention!" A familiar voice apologized. "Are you alright?"

Slowly, as if he was under water instead of in Kakura Town, Jinta looked up to meet the brown eyes of Yuzu Kurosaki.

_The Goddess!_ He thought with a blush. Feeling his face heat up, Jinta instantly turned away from her, hiding his face from her view.

"Tch, I'm fine. More importantly, are you okay?"

"Yes, I'm fine! Do you hurt anywhere? I can take you to the clinic if you're in pain." Yuzu offered, leaning in to look at his face. "Wow, you look like you're burning up! And your breathing really hard, are you sure your not hurt?"

"I said I'm fine!" Jinta shouted, his voice taking on a hard edge. _Why is my face so red?!_

"Okay, if you insist…" The girl mumbled, the worried expression still on her face.

Looking around, Jinta realized her groceries were still on the ground. Hopping to his feet, he quickly picked them up for her.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I should have done that myself! Thank you so much!" Yuzu told him, smiling at him gently. Jinta's face burned fiercly, so he once again turned away in embarrassment.

"N-No problem. I'll see you around!" Jinta called over his shoulder as he started to run again, this time away from Yuzu.

_Gah, why did the Goddess to see me when I was acting like such a moron! Urahara-sama was right, I shouldn't have left the-_ Suddenly, a wave of strong spirit pressure pressed down on Jinta, causing him to collapse to his knees for a moment.

_Where did that come from?_ He wondered as he felt it slowly decapitate. Still, he couldn't shake the feeling it was something bad…

A scream met his ears, causing Jinta to realize just what was going on. The Goddess was being attacked by a Hollow!

_Shit!_ He thought, dashing back to where he had left Yuzu. Turning the corner, he found an imposing Adjuchas-class Menos clutching the girl in its clawed hand, leering at his prey with sickening glee.

"Hey you, let go of her!" Jinta shouted, taking out his over-sized iron rod. The Adjuchas turned and stared at him for a moment before attacking with its other hand, its claws whistling through the air as it missed Jinta by inches.

He took a running leap and managed to cut off the arm holding Yuzu. Catching her before she could even touch the ground, Jinta ran with Yuzu away from the Adjuchas, his only thought to get her away from danger.

"What was that?!" Yuzu cried, turning back to watch the Menos as it howled over its lost arm.

"A Hollow! We have to get back to the shop, and fast!" Jinta shouted, forcing himself to run even faster. He could feel the spiritual pressure of the Menos fast approaching, seeking revenge. If he could just get Yuzu back to the shop before it caught up to them, Ururu and Tessai could help defeat the Adjuchas-class Menos.

Just then, a Cero flew at them, causing the ground below Jinta to buck and jump, throwing him and Yuzu through the air. Pain shot up Jinta's arm. Looking down, he realized with a shock of horror that the arm he used to smash heads was broken.

"N-no way…" He muttered, as the pain intensified. Swallowing the desire to throw up, Jinta got up on unsteady legs as his world turned upside down. Shaking it clear again, he scanned the area for Yuzu. He finally spotted her lying about twelve feet away, looking relatively alright other than being attacked by a Cero. Still, his heart nearly stopped when he realized she wasn't moving. He made his way over to her as quickly as his spinning head would let him.

"Yuzu, hey, Yuzu! Are you okay?? Please, answer me!" He called to her, finally reaching Yuzu's side. She coughed and sat up, looking up at Jinta with a reassuring smile. However, the smile quickly turned to a look of horror when she spotted something over his shoulder.

"Look out!" She shouted, pointing. Jinta knew what it was without even looking; the Menos was now fast approaching, roaring in fury over its lost arm. And it wanted revenge.

Wincing slightly, Jinta prepared himself for the fight to come. True, his arm may be broken, but he had to protect the Goddess no matter what. He'd just have to fight with his other arm, though it wasn't nearly as strong.

"Yuzu, when I have his complete attention, I want you to run. Run straight to the Urahara Shop and tell Tessai-san what happened, he'll know what to do." Jinta instructed the scared girl. She merely shook her head, tears now welling up in her eyes. _Damn, that's two times today I've made a girl cry!_

"No way, Jinta-kun! I can't just leave you here!" The tears now over flowed down her face.

"Look, you'll be safe, and I'll be fine! The sooner you can get Tessai-san over here, the sooner I can come back to you!" Jinta explained, eyeing the Menos as it knocked over a telephone pole with its tail.

"B-But…" Yuzu hiccupped, her face anxious with concern for him. Any other day, it'd had made him glow with joy. Today, however, it made him seriously worry about whether he'll even get to live another day to see her face again.

_Don't think like that! You will live! If not…_ He chanced a glance back at the crying girl before reverting his attention back to the Menos._ I _will_ survive._

"Get ready to run as fast as you can, Yuzu!" Jinta told her, shifting into a fighting position, iron rod ready to kick butt.

"Jinta-kun…" She whispered.

The Menos was upon them once again. Raising its claws, it began to swing downward straight for Jinta.

"RUN, YUZU!!" He shouted at the top of his voice as he braced for the attack he was sure was going to end his life. He closed his eyes and waited for it, begging for it to be quick and painless…

And he kept waiting. And waiting. Finally, he peeked up to see what was taking the Menos so long only to find that it was gone. In its place stood the one and only Mr. Hat 'n' Clogs himself, Kisuke Urahara.

"Urahara-sama." Jinta breathed, relief flooding his body, his broken arm temporarily forgotten. Urahara turned to give the boy an appraising look before smiling his Cheshire Cat grin and waving is fan in front of his face.

"Jinta-kun, Jinta-kun, whenever are you going to learn that you need to listen to me! You better let Yuzu-chan take you to the clinic to have that arm fixed up, on the double!" Urahara called over his shoulder as he began to walk away gallantly. Jinta felt a pulse threaten to give out.

"That man…" He muttered under his breath. Looking up, he caught Yuzu's eye and blushed. His arm throbbed painfully; he had to fight to keep from wincing. "So, uh, wanna go then?"

"Yes, we should get you there as soon as possible! Thankfully it looks like it didn't break skin." Yuzu told him, her face still a little pale.

_At least she's safe._ Jinta thought to himself, following behind Yuzu and looking up at the clear blue sky, basking in the sun's rays. _And that's all that matters…_

* * *

The Meaning of Chrysanthemums – the pure, honest love between children.

* * *

My latest brainchild. This one is based around the flowers of the 13 Divisions. Each chapter will be based around the meaning of a flower of the Gotei 13, with a pairing from Bleach being used to depict the meaning of said flower.

So, first chapter was Jinta and Yuzu. This pairing is so overlooked compared to the more popular couples! I hope I did okay on it, at least!

Tell me what you think! Good idea, bad idea, thoughts, criticism, opinions, etc. I already have an idea of what each pairing is going to be for each flower, but I want to hear your ideas too. Just please don't suggest yuri or yaoi… I'm not a homophobe but I'm defiantly not comfortable writing such things.

To my readers: I know, I lied. I said Sunday and I'm posting it Saturday. I'm sorry!

In any case, thank you for reading! Please review! Until next chapter! Bye! :3


	2. Tulips

Tulips – Seek Nothing

Nanao sighed. Where was her taicho now? The man was as slippery as a snake; he could be in his office one moment, then poof! He was gone, just like that. Something told Nanao that his amazing disappearing abilities when it came to work had been learned from the Queen of Laziness herself, Rangiku Matsumoto. Nanao sighed again.

_Why do I even bother? I should just do it all myself and stop relying on that no good lazy selfish- _Nanao was suddenly cut off mid rant by the snore of the man in question.

The fukutaicho could feel an angry vein pulse in her forehead. She knew where he was. Shunpoing to the Division 8 barracks. There he was. She could see him from here, napping on the roof. Honestly, if he was going to hide from work, he needed to find some new hiding places.

She landed daintily next to the sleeping taicho. She peered down at him for a moment through her glasses before taking her heavy book and dropping it on his face.

"Aaah- Oh, Nanao-chan, it's you! Thank goodness, I was so lonely, sleeping up here all by myself! Won't you join me?"

"Kyoraku-taicho, please, be serious. We have paperwork due in the morning, and you've barely touched it!"

"Yare yare, it'll get done." Shunsui yawned, leaning back onto the roof and pulling his hat over his face. "One way or another…"

"Taicho, paperwork does not work that way! You have to do it in order for it to get done, not just wish it away-"

"Nanao-chan, do you ever wear your hair down?" Shunsui suddenly asked her, peering up at her with curious chocolate brown eyes.

Nanao actually blushed under his inquisitive gaze. She couldn't help it, after all, he was quite handsome.

"T-Taicho, please, focus!" Nanao replied, looking off to the side to hide her face from him. The last thing she needed was more teasing from her taicho.

"Aww, Nanao-chan's blushing!" Shunsui practically squealed with joy, a wide grin spreading across his face.

"That's it! I'll just do it myself!" Nanao shouted as she strode away.

"Hey, hey, calm down, you know I was just kidding! C'mon, Nanao-chan, let's do that paperwork together, it'll be fun!" Shunsui nudged, having gotten up off the roof to walk alongside Nanao as she made her way back to the office.

"No, taicho, _you_ are doing the paperwork, by yourself." Nanao retorted, anger and embarrassment coloring her face red.

"But Nanao-chan!" Shunsui whined, slumping behind her, lip pouting. He looked like a little boy when he did that.

The pair arrived at the office. Papers flooded the desk of the taicho, that he had as of yet to touch. Shunsui looked at his desk and let out a heavy sigh.

"Nanao-chaaaaaaaaaan!"

"No."

"Please?"

"I said no!"

"Let's talk about something!"

"Like what?"

"Your hair. Why don't you ever wear it down?"

"Taicho, paperwork. Now."

"Why do you keep avoiding my questions?"

"Why do you keep asking questions? Just do your paperwork!"

"But paperwork's no fun! There's more to life than paperwork, Nanao-chan!"

"And neither of us will have a life to live if we don't get all this paperwork done by tomorrow!"

"Ah-ha, so you are helping me!"

"I never said that!"

"Just now, you said 'we' which indicates that we're going to work together on this little problem."

Nanao sighed. "Fine, you win. I'll help you with the paperwork. It'll probably go by a lot faster if I help anyway."

"That's my Nanao-chan!" Shunsui crowed, leaning over to try and squeeze Nanao's butt, which resulted in a slap in the face.

"Taicho, don't test me. I am not in the mood." Nanao stated as she seated herself at her desk and began the paperwork she had to do.

Shunsui sat down behind his own desk and stared at the papers. After a moment or two, he decided to talk to his fukutaicho a little more.

"So seriously, why don't you ever wear your hair down?" He asked again.

Nanao's pen snapped in her hand as she clenched it angrily. The vein was back, pulsing fiercely under her skin.

"I swear, one more question about my hair, or so help me I will-"

"Nanao, as your friend I'm asking you why you don't ever wear your hair down, not as your taicho." Shunsui said softly, his eyes melting her anger.

Nanao felt herself begin to blush again. _Dammit!_ She thought, quickly trying to find something, anything, to divert his attention away from her for two seconds.

Shunsui got up from his desk and walked over to where she sat. Nanao tensed, ready to strike if he tried anything he'd regret later.

"Nanao-chan, relax." Shunsui smiled. Reaching out, he unclipped her hair from its customary clip. It fell to her shoulders; not very impressive. Never the less, Shunsui stared at her as if she was the goddess Venus herself.

"What are you staring at?" Nanao asked, curious despite herself.

"Only the prettiest fukutaicho in the entire Gotei 13." Shunsui replied easily, leaning forward to brush his lips against hers. It was soft and quick, lasting just long enough to make Nanao's heart stop but short enough to keep her from fleeing. Pulling back, Shunsui shot her another dazzling smile. For a moment, Nanao forgot where she was. Reality came crashing back around her shoulders when a Hell butterfly fluttered through the window.

"Taicho." She mumbled, stretching around him in order to hold out her hand to the butterfly. It landed lightly on her fingers, fluttering slightly as the gravely voice of the soutaicho reverberated through the room as if he was there in person.

"Division 8, a reminder: your paperwork is due tomorrow morning at the crack of dawn. Thank you."

With its short message delivered, the Hell butterfly floated back out the window. Nanao stared after it for a moment before pinning her hair back up in it's bun. She got up from her desk and walked over to Shunsui, who was leaning against her desk in a relaxed manner.

"Well, taicho, do you know what I'm going to do now?" Nanao asked, her voice low and seductive.

"No, what?" Shunsui wondered, hoping for more kisses. Silly man, he should have known better.

"I'm going to leave you to finish the paperwork you've had two months to do, while I go to Shinigami Health Land and take a well deserved soak. Goodbye." Nanao turned on her heel away from her taicho, a smirk playing across her lips as Shunsui protested loudly behind her.

With Nanao gone, Shunsui looked around at the desk full of paperwork, and let out a heavy sigh. Today was going to be a long day.

* * *

The Meaning of Tulips – love does not have to be gigantic, extravagant, or elegant; it can be as simple as the words and actions from one person to another.

* * *

Sighs all around in the 8th Division, neh? XD

Thank you **rolf-hitsugaya, screamerXOXO, emily, and Lord Slayer** for your reviews! I appreciate them!

Ugh, no comment, I'm too tired. Until the next chapter!


	3. Marigolds

**Warning:** The following may contain spoilers for the movie Bleach: Memories of Nobody. You have been warned.

* * *

Marigold – Despair

Ichigo woke up from a dreamless sleep. _Another day. _He thought grimly, getting up. Rukia was out on a mission without him, and Kon was safely tucked away in a drawer, under lock and key. For the first time in a long time, Ichigo was alone in his room.

As he went through his morning routine, he paused as his fingers grazed the red hair ribbon lying on his dresser. He gazed at it for a moment before picking it up and placing it in the pocket of his uniform.

In no time, Ichigo had eaten breakfast and was out the door, on his way to school. The substitute shinigami was early this morning, and there was barely anyone out. He walked along, not paying attention to much of anything going on around him. He had only one thing on his mind this morning, and it was driving him crazy.

At first, Ichigo had thought for sure the ribbon had to belong to Yuzu, or maybe even Karin, but no, neither owned a red hair ribbon_. _And there was the unexplainable girl who haunted his thoughts from dawn to dusk.

_Who was she? _It was the question pounding against his head, beating in time with his heart, pulsing against his skin. Every time he looked at the hair ribbon, he could just see her… a girl, with wild, spiky purple hair, cat orange eyes, and a mischievous grin. But try as he might, he couldn't place a name to her face, and he just didn't get it.

Out of the blue, a gust of wind sent a shiver down Ichigo's spine, causing him to finally take notice of his surroundings. He was surprised to find he had actually walked past the road that would normally take him to school. Just as he was turning around to start backtracking, another gust of wind forced him to turn his face down and away.

Looking up, he blinked the sand out of his eyes. A flash of red caught his eye. Turning to look, he saw a little girl, black hair tied high in a ponytail at the top of her head. She had on a red overall dress with a white shirt underneath. She was walking along the top of a wall, arms out on either side of her body as she swayed to and fro in order to keep her balance. There was something eerily familiar about this little girl… Ichigo peered through the morning sunlight, trying to figure it out. It was only when the girl turned around that it hit Ichigo.

The little girl had orange eyes.

Without thinking, Ichigo dashed across the street, causing traffic to swerve in order to avoid hitting him. He was oblivious to the indignant blasts of horns all around him; the only thing on his mind was a pair of orange eyes.

"Hey, wait!" He shouted, desperate. He had no clue what the girl could tell him. She was way younger than the girl he saw in his mind, and didn't even look like her. It was her orange eyes that made Ichigo believe she had answers, and it's what drove him to race after her as she stealthily made her way along the top of the wall, balancing like a gymnast. The wall had to be barely six inches in width, and yet she ran over it like she was six feet away from the edge of falling over.

And so Ichigo chased the orange-eyed girl, checking his watch to make sure he had enough time to get to school on time. It was a funny thing; it seemed like time had stopped since he had almost killed himself crossing the road to get to her. Even Ichigo's cell phone's clock read the same time whenever he checked it, and they hadn't passed a single soul. And no matter how fast he ran, he couldn't catch up to her. Yet, when he slowed down, the girl seemed to slow down as well. Every so often, he caught her looking back, as if to check on him. It only served to spurn on his determination to reach her.

Suddenly, the girl turned a corner and vanished from sight. Afraid she would disappear, Ichigo dashed around the corner, only to find no one there. He turned this way and that, but to no avail. There girl was missing, and reality settled around Ichigo's shoulders once more. Just as he began to walk back the way he had came, wind once more pushed him around.

Ichigo opened his eyes to find Karakura Town was nowhere in sight. Instead, he found himself facing a sky painted with a faint blue, the faint glow of a rising sun in the distance… the colors of twilight. Looking around, Ichigo discovered himself to be standing on top of a giant redwood tree, its limbs as wide as a house. He couldn't even see the ground when he peered over the edge, causing him to feel a bout of nausea overtake his senses for a moment.

Another swirl of wind surrounded Ichigo, and when he managed to open his eyes this time, he found a girl standing at the edge of the branch he was occupying. Her unruly purple hair was caught up in a ponytail, and her unseated shinigami uniform had a red ribbon tied around her waist. She stood on her tiptoes, staring out across the fog at the twilit sky. She finally turned around, and it was orange eyes filled with heartbreaking misery that Ichigo's own brown confused orbs.

"Heya, Ichigo." She spoke softly, as if afraid to wake up someone. Her voice did, however, awake the stirrings of memories in Ichigo. He could only stare; his own voice seemed to have failed him. His throat was swollen, and he couldn't have so much as said his own name, never mind the name of this girl he knew and yet didn't know.

"I heard you forgot who I am. That's good." She continued, her tone implying it was anything but 'good.' "I… I just wanted to tell you… well, maybe not now. Maybe someday." She whispered. She looked back up at the sky and threw her arms out on either side of her body, the palms of her hands facing up, as if trying to catch the faint light of the stars above them. "Yes, definitely someday." She decided in a confident voice. She peered at Ichigo and smiled faintly, a hint of her spunky attitude shining through. "Don't worry, we'll meet again. And when we do, you'll finally remember my name. I promise."

She walked towards Ichigo until she was standing directly in front of him. "And if things get bad, just remember to go up somewhere high. Everything will look better in the sky. After all, the sky is what connects us all, no matter where we are." Her smile grew sad, and what looked like tears filled her orange eyes. "This is good bye for now, but it still hurts. Well, then I won't say good bye. Until next time, Ichigo."

She leaned forward and, standing on tip toe, she gently pressed her lips to his. When Ichigo opened his eyes, he was once again in Karakura Town, at the intersection where he had seen the little girl in the red dress.

He stayed where he was for a moment, allowing everything that had just happened to sink in. The wind had died down; it was nothing more than a gentle breeze now, twirling around him like a girl he remembered. He breathed in the faint scent of jasmine. Ichigo then whispered, softly, just loud enough for either someone standing right next to him to hear or the wind itself to pick up and carry away.

"_Senna."_

* * *

The Meaning of Marigold - love lost, or love gained, it doesn't matter, it's all the same.

* * *

One of the most fun chapters for me to write so far! If only Senna hadn't left at the end of the movie, I think she and Ichigo would have made an adorable couple. Sorry it was so bad and sloppily written, I kind of just wrote the first thing to come to mind XD (loses all her readers)

Thank you **Moonlight-Milkyway, xXxMiserableLoveFairyxXx, Aiedail's Scepter, rolf-hitsugaya, Okonomiyaki Days, and emily** (Yes, I know exactly what you mean!) for your reviews! I hope you all enjoyed this one!

Thank you for reading, and please review! Until the next flower~

And please check out my third home (after FFN):

**w w w . t h e i n s a n e a r m y . p r o b o a r d s . c o m** (no spaces)

It's tons of fun and inspires me to write in many ways! :) Thanks again!


	4. Bellflowers

Warning: The following may contain spoilers for the Bleach manga as of chapter 377. It also contains graphic imagery, as the chapter reflects directly off the manga. You have been warned.

* * *

Bellflower – Those Who Grieve Are Loved

He had warned her. He had told her not to be instigated by the evil man's taunts. But, as usual, she had ignored him.

And now look where they were.

Shinji gently held Hiyori's body. Or at least, what was left of it. Gin Ichimaru's zanpakuto had sliced her body in half at the waist. The once haughty girl now lay on the brink of death in his arms, pale and shaking. He could practically see the life leaving her eyes as each pump of her heart, usually working so hard to keep her alive, made her lose more and more blood.

_If only Ichigo would get here!_ Shinji though furiously as he gritted his teeth. With Hachi missing his arm, the only one who could heal Hiyori to full health now was Orihime. _And if they don't get here soon…_

"Hey, Shinji…" The girl gasped out, blood trickling from the side of her mouth.

Shinji glared down at her. "Snaggletooth, quit talking. You're losing a lot of blood, so just hang on until-"

"Shinji… I'm…" She took a deep breath. "I'm not… going to make it…"

"Quit the dramatics, Hiyori!" Shinji snapped.

"Shinji… listen… Ichigo's not going… to get here… in time… so please… forget… about me…" Hiyori pleaded. This made Shinji stop. What was wrong with her? Why was she talking this way?

"I'm… going to die… I know that… and I… I accept it…" Hiyori continued. "So please… just… kill Aizen…"

"Hiyori, what are you saying?" Shinji asked, willing himself not to hear what she was asking him. _Asking._ Hiyori never asked. She told.

"Kill… Aizen… avenge our deaths…" She muttered, her eyelids drooping. "I'm… too far gone… now… so do it… for me… okay?"

"Shut up!" Shinji shouted, causing Hiyori's eyes to snap back open in shock. "Your not going to die, snaggletooth!"

Hiyori gazed at him for a moment, surprise imprinted across her face. Slowly, a smile overtook her features, and she closed her eyes again.

"If only… I had listened… for once…" She whispered. "I'll… see you later… Shinji…"

Hiyori said one last thing under her breath that caused Shinji to stare at her in shock.

"Hiyori? Hiyori?! What did you just call me?! Hey, Hiyori, quit messing around, open your eyes, Hiyori!" He yelled, panic stricken.

The two Vizards lay like that together for a long while, time having slowed down for them… Hiyori gasping what may very well be her last breathes, and Shinji holding on to her, digesting what she had whispered before falling into unconsciousness… _I love you…_

* * *

The Meaning of Bellflowers - The love between two people is finally realized as one lets go of all hope and the other clings to every last shred of it.

* * *

This one was so short and late, I'm sorry! My computer had a virus that deleted all my documents so I had to rewrite this chapter completely from scratch! I'm sorry! T~T

Well, in any case, thank you **Moonlight-Milkyway, screamerXOXO, ThePurplePencil, Aiedail's Scepter, Lord Slayer, rolf-hitsugaya, nexuswarrior, Muerte-chan, Lord Slayer, and emily** (Thank you! XD) for your awesome reviews!

Until next chapter! Thanks for reading, and please review!


	5. Lilies of the Valley

Lilies of the Valley – Sacrifice, Danger, Pure Love, Humility, Sweetness

"Please… I just want to go home!" The little girl sobbed, her brown eyes full of tears as she stared up at the group of older boys leering over her. She had been walking home from picking up some things at the store when the local bullies had cornered her in an alleyway. She wasn't very strong to begin with, but seeing these boys tower over her made her feel all the smaller.

_I just want to go home…_ She thought despairingly. She had to get this food home. Without it, Granny would be hungry, and on top of that, their money would have been spent for nothing. _How can I get past them?_ She asked herself, desperate to find some way to escape.

"Aww, did you hear that, Maro? She wants to go home!" A big boy with shaggy black hair said as he nudged the boy next to him with his elbow.

"How cute!" Maro replied, his smile malicious and his blue eyes jeering.

"Listen sweetie, you can go home if you just hand over the food and whatever money you have, okay?" The third boy, with long ruddy brown hair, addressed the girl, leaning so close to her face she could smell his dank breathe. She wrinkled her nose in disgust and spat in his eyes.

The boy howled in shock and pain as he rubbed his eyes with the heels of his hands. The other two laughed at his anguish. The girl saw her chance and slowly began inching around them…

"Don't let her leave, I'm going to teach her a lesson!" The blinded boy spat. The little girl froze where she was as the boy's friends exchanged uneasy glances at that. The laughter was gone.

"But, Teiji, she's just a little girl." Maro answered.

"If you won't do it, Maro, then Botan will!" Teiji shouted haughtily, moving his hands away from his face to reveal bloodshot eyes. "Nobody spits at me, ever!"

Maro and Botan were in a fix. They either followed their morals and let the girl go, or risked Teiji and his six older brothers' wrath. Better to do as he said.

They turned on the girl only to find she had vanished. Sweeping the alley with their eyes, they saw a flash of a pink yukata before it disappeared around the corner.

"Don't just stand there, let's go!" Teiji shouted as he dashed off after the girl, Maro and Botan close on his heels.

The girl's breathe came out in ragged puffs as she ran sightlessly through the labyrinth of alleyways. The moon was shrouded in a cloak of clouds, so there was no light to go by. She was lost, and she knew it, but running was the safest and only option for now.

_Why did I have to spit in his face?_ She chided herself angrily as she forced her tired legs forward into the night. Her strength was quickly waning… it wouldn't be much longer now before the boys caught up with her. _Gotta keep going!_ She told herself fiercely as she pushed herself harder, bare feet thumping the ground rapidly.

Suddenly, a shadow amongst shadows appeared in front of her. The girl quickly stopped herself and looked around for a side alley to go down to get away from this new danger. But the only exit was behind the shadowy figure.

She was trapped. Again.

The figure stepped forward. The girl could just make out distinctive features now… what looked like white hair and teal eyes. She was almost positive it was a boy, as he was about her height, maybe a little shorter. But she couldn't be sure… it was so dark…

"Go on, run. I'll hold them off." The girl started at the voice. It was cold and serious.

"Wha-What?" She gasped, surprised. In Seireitei, help always came with a price. The girl was suspicious. No one just offered to hold off a gang of boys twice their size for nothing. There had to be a catch.

"What do you want?" She asked, her breathing a little calmer.

"I want you to get the heck out of here before those three thugs show up." The boy retorted condescendingly. The girl blinked. "Would you go already? They're getting closer." He pointed out.

It was true. The voices of the bullies were getting closer and closer as they gained on them. The girl looked back once more before running around him. Pausing at the corner, she stared at the boy, confused. Why was he doing this? Instead of continuing her escape, the girl hid in the shadows much like the boy had, curious to discover his secrets.

The trio of boys came into view. They backpedaled when they realized there was a new boy barring their way. They stood for a moment in confusion before Teiji stepped forward, frown in place.

"You. Did you see a little girl run by here?" he asked.

"Yes." The boy replied easily. The girl stiffened. Was he going to betray her after all?

"Good. Which way did she go?" Teiji inquired, a sickening smile now overtaking his features.

"If you want to attack her so badly, you'll have to defeat me first." The boy stated calmly. This stumped Teiji. He stared at the smaller boy for a moment before bursting out laughing.

"That's rich! All I'd have to do is sit on you, and you'd be crushed! Those are big words for such a little punk!" Teiji chuckled.

The white haired boy frowned. In a movement too fast to follow, he was behind the bigger boy. He brought his hand down in a powerful chop that made contact with the side of Teiji's neck. The bully dropped like a stone to the ground. His friends stood motionless, staring wide-eyed at first their leader, and then the boy.

"Unless you want to end up like him," He said, indicating Teiji's form with the same hand that had sent the boy to the ground to begin with. "then I suggest you leave. Now."

The boys needed no more encouragement. They were off like bullets, racing each other back the way they came. The boy watched them go for a moment before turning to the bully again.

"I know you're here." he said loudly, causing the girl to jump. Hesitantly walking up to her rescuer, she peered at Teiji's face.

"He's not… dead, is he?" she whispered worriedly, looking up at the boy. He snorted.

"Of course not. He's just unconscious." he retorted, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Oh. Well, that's good." The girl remarked, a smile crossing her lips. "My name's Momo Hinamori. Thank you so much for saving me!"

The boy stared at her for a minute before answering. "Toshiro Hitsugaya. It was no problem."

"Do you have anywhere to stay, Shiro-chan?" Momo asked curiously.

"Yes." Toshiro retorted, looking away. The girl knew better though. She had seen that face more than once on the faces of the homeless children around Seireitei.

"Well, why don't you come home with me? Granny's going to make dinner, and we have some watermelon for dessert." Momo suggested. The boy's ears pricked at the mention of watermelon. He hesitated for just a moment before nodding.

"I'd… like that… very much…" He muttered, embarrassed. Momo smiled again and took his hand in hers as she led the way home.

* * *

The Meaning of Lilies of the Valley – Protecting those you care about, whether you know them or not, for years and years to come.

* * *

This was actually hard for me to write, despite it being my favorite pairing. What's up with that? D: But thanks **rolf-hitsugaya** for your help! This chapter would have taken a lot longer! XD

Thank you **K, ThePurplePencil, rolf-hitsugaya, screamerXOXO, CalypsoHatesEveryone, Lord Slayer, Aiedail's Scepter, and emily** (No, I don't think she's going to die!) for your reviews!

Anyhow, thanks for reading, and please review! I appreciate it so much! X3


End file.
